Spring shackle



y 1930- H. D. GEYER I 1,759,449

I SPRING SHACKLE Filed Dec. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 20, 1930. Y H. D. GEYER 1,759,449

SPRING SHACKLE Filed Dec 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 20, 1930 4 "UNITED STA ES PATE HARVEY 1). GEYER, or DAYTON, onio, Assieivon TO THE INLAND MAN FACTURING coMrAN ornAx'roiv, oHIo, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE SPRING SHACKLE Application 'filed December 20, 1926. SerialNo. 155,801.

This invention relates to non-metallic elastic connections for connecting the end of a cantilever spring .to the stationary axle of a motor vehicle.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved type of suspension of the'rear end of a' cantilever spring to the rear axle housing or stationaryrear axle.

Further obj ect's and advantages of the presentinvention will'be apparent from the fol I I. Fig.2is a sectional view through the connectiontaken online-22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation with a portion of the spring leaf broken away to more -clearly,show the "clearance betweem'the 2 spring leaf-andthe slot in the ing; through which it passes! g Fig. 4"is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Fig.3. v

Fig. 5 is abo'ttom view of the connection. Similar-reference characters refer to similar parts through the'drawings. k

I Numeral -10 designates the conventional stationary -tubular rear axle which houses the live axle (not shown). 1 The long leaf metal hous- 11 of the cantileverspring 9extends rearwardly over and beyond the 'rear axle 10- and is curved"'down wardly around axle 1O and terminates i'na spring eye 12 which'lies adjacent the undersidejof axle 10, as clearly shown in 4. A transverse bar 13 having ends, 14 projecting {beyond the sides of, the spring leafll is rigidlyfi'xe d in eye 12. The .spring eye 12 and" bar 13 are completely encljosed by't'he elastic rubber blocks l5wand l6 which "are held encased by a'nd compressed by a metal housing designated as a whole by numeral 20. Housing20 is made in twoparts divided approximately on the center line of- -springeye 12, the upper part 21- abutting and v' conforming to the shape of theaxle 10 as Fig.1 is aside elevation of the rear end clearly shown in Fig. 4. The lower part22 NT oF I E of the housing is rigidly clamped up against the upper part 21 and both parts are rigidly clamped to axle 10 by the two, U-bolts 23 which extend through bosses provided on the four. corners of 'the lower part 22. A seat ing member 24 having seating grooves 25 therein for the U-bolts 23 is preferablyprovided on top of the axle 10. The under side of axle '10 is preferably flattened for the length of the abutting housing member 21, as shown at 26in Fig. 4, so that when the nuts of U-bolts 23 are drawn up tight the housing 20 willbe held positively against-rotation relative to'axle l0. In'other Words, the flattened. portion 26 of 'aXle l0 acts as a key for holding the housing 20 against relative rotation thereupon. means may be suitably provided forrigidly fixing the housing 20 to the axle 10, if desired. Y

The upper and lower housing parts 21 and V 22 are cut away'to provide an elongated transverse slot 30 through which the spring leaf llextends. This slot 30 has'only suilicient vertical depth to at all times clear theleaf '11 during the slight pivoting of'the spring Of Course other and well known eye 12.with-i n the elastic rubber blocks 15 and 16. 'Slot'30 also clears the lateral edges of leaf 11 by afsufiicient amount to insure that there will be no 'metal-to-metal contact between leaf ll'and housing 20-when in use. It is therefore seen that the clearance areas of slot 30 around the springleaf 11 will be so small that the elastic'rubber 15 and 16 will bulge outward, dueto thecomp'ression under which it is confined by housing 20,0111 ,a'srnall amount, somewhat as shown at 31 in Fig. 4. These outward bulges 31, however, prevent dirt,'1nud, etc. from entering'the housing 20 around the leaf 11. v

In operation, the axle10 is guided in its up-and-down movement; relative to the chassis frame by the well knowntorquetube rear wheels is transmitted to thechassiS name. The well knownfpresent' day Buick" automobileiscited as an exampleof this lco'n- 'struction. Now whenthe cantilever springs 9am deflected or flattened outuiidr-load,

throughwhich the driving thrust fro m the the end of spring leaf 11 is held pivoted at a substantially longitudinally fixed point relative to the chassis frame and hence the clownwardly sweeping curve of leaf 11 will be flexed to a sharper curve to permit said flat-' tening of spring 9. During such flexing the spring eye 12 and 'bearingrmember '13. fixed thereto pivot within the elasticrubber 15 and 16 by internal distortion of the rubber, the

rubber being held in tight non-slipping rela tion with all its contacting metal'surfaces by .the compression underwhich it is confined by housing 20. The tendency of the end of V leaf llto pullout of the housing 20 ischiefiy resisted bythe lateral projectionsfll of bar ,13 1which' extend laterally'beyond the slot 3D in housing 20,.-These projections 14; project llltOClICulflI recesses 19 ofthe housing 20'and areisolated therefrom by portions of the elastio'rubber blocks and; 16, as. clearly illustrated:in FiguQ; From this illustration it isobvious that the'end of spring leaf 11 is positively held within the housing but is 7 completely isolated therefrom by the elastic rubber and permitted a pivotal 'movement therein by elasticidistortion of the rubber. The variation of curvature of the downwardlycurved end'of leaf 11 during deflection of thespring -9, as described above',causes the endofthe spring leaf 11 to" pivot through smallan'gles within theelastic -rubber block.-

Sincethere is no relativesliding of metal Whilethe form of embodirnent of, the pres ent invention asherein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it isto be understood that other formsffmight be adopted, allcoming V within the-scopeof the claims which That is claimed is as follows :1 f i 1. In combination with a'cantilever'spring, {and stationary axle of a motor" vehicle, a

shackle interconnectingthe spring end with said axle, Comprising-z a -transverse metal bar ofgreater length than the width' of the spring end and rigidly fixed to 'said spring end, an elastic rubber blocksurrounding said 1 spring end and bar, anda metal housing supported by saidaxle andronfiningsaid "rubberjbloc'k under compression and having an opening therein of suflicient dimensions to clear-the SPllIlgWhGIG it passes therethrough whereby said spring end may pivot withinsaid housing by internal distortionof the" ela sticrubber block. 1

2. In combinationwith a cantilever spring and stationary axle of a"-motor vehicle, a shackleinterconnecting the spring end with l said'iaxle, comprisingi atransverse metalbar of greater length than the width of'the spring end and rigidly fixed to said spring end, an

elastic rubber block surrounding-said spring follow. a

fining said rubber block-under compression,

end and bar, and a metal housing supported by and depending below said axle and oon-- said housinghaving a transverse elongated opening permitting the passage of the spring thereinto without metal-to-metal V eontactfbetween said spring and housing when the spring end pivots within said elastic rubber j block. 7 e 1 a 7 In combination with acantilever spring and stationary axle of a motor 'vehicle, a shackle interconnecting the spring end with said axle, comprising: a transverse metal bar of greater length than thewidth of the spr ng end and rigidly fixed'to said spring end, an

end and ban-and a metal housingrigidlyfixe d elastic rubber block surrounding said spring a to and depending below said-axle and "'confin- 5 ing'saidrubber block under oompressiomtsaid housinghaving a transverse elongated open-f ing permitting the. passage of the spring thereinto without metal-td-metaLicontact j therewith.

4: In a motor, vehicle, in: combination, a" stat onary axle, a cantllever leaf spring-haw ing the long leaf thereof curved downwardly" aroundsaid axle and terminatingbelow said I axle, a shackle interconnectingthe sprihg end to said axle comprising: a bearingmember ing laterally beyond the edges thereof, an.

rigidly fixed to the spring end andvextendelastic rubber block surrounding and isol'ating said spring end and bearing'member', and

a metal housing depending fromsai'd axl'o and con finingv saidfrubber blockunder: pom-u pression, but havingflan' elongatedlopening permitting the passage ofthe springi leaf thereinto, whereby said spring end is pivotal I s 1y connectedto said axle, but completely isolated byelasti'c-rubber therefromjg z' I around said axle and terminating below said :'aXle,-a shackle interoonnecting the spring'fend to saidaxle comprising: a bearing member '5. In a" motor,-veh1ele,; in 'combinatiom a statlonai'ya'xle, a'ea-ntrlever leaf sprmg' havmg the longleaf thereof curvedjdownwardly rigi dly'fixed to thespring-end andexte-nding laterally beyond'the edgesthereof;aneIastio rubber bloek'surrounding andisolating said sprmgend and bearing member, and'a metal h ousing'rigidly fixed to the under-s1de-of said axleand confining saidrubber blook'under V compression, said housing havingfan opening.

width than saidbearing member.

, stationary axle, a cantilever leaf spring havpermittingthe passage ofthefspringl'leat 'thereinto, said opening beingof less lateral izor 6/111 amotor vehicleyin combination pa I ing its long leaf curved downwardly around 7 the axle and terminating below the underside- 7 thereof, an elastic rubber block surround? ing and isolating the spring end, and'a metal a.

housing depend-ing from and'support'edby a said axle'and confiningsaid "rubber block f V i c mpression, aid housing having an was V elongated transverse opening permitting the passage of the spring leaf thereinto.

7. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a stationary axle, a cantilever leaf spring having its long leaf curved downwardly around the axle and terminating in an enlarged end adjacent the under-side thereof, an elastic rubber block surrounding and isolating the spring end, and a metal housing rigidly fixed to and depending from said, axle and confining said rubber block under compression, said housing having an opening therein of sufiicient dimensions to clear the spring leaf Where it asses into the housing.

In testlmony whereof I hereto affix my signature. 7

HARVEY D. GEYER. 

